


Painted Blue

by hookedonmccutie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-11-18 19:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18125762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hookedonmccutie/pseuds/hookedonmccutie
Summary: Killian Jones' life changed when he began to foster the most perfect baby boy. It was thrown upside down when he met the boy's mother, who makes it increasingly hard for him to just be her friend. strangers to friends to more AU.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the first chapter to a story that I've been working on for a while. I'm excited to get it going and to hear your feedback. I did some research on fostering, but not too much so it won't all be perfect. also, this is mostly exposition, and the real story starts with him and Emma. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Killian Jones didn’t expect for his utterly ordinary routine to be uprooted by one phone call. And it was ordinary. His days were the same. He woke up, dressed, and took himself downstairs to the small coffee shop below his apartment building. He would order his usual grande Americano and sit in one of high-top tables, either reading the morning paper, or jotting down notes in his idea journal. 

He was writer. Ever since he was a child, he loved to read, and after he read everything he could at his young age, he began to write his own small stories. At the beginning, most were about the stuffed animals that lay on his bed, but as he got older, they were about anything and everything that peaked his interest, Now, at the age of 28, he’s published two novels, and currently he’s in the middle of the third, a historical fiction in the time of pirates of the 1700s. 

After his time at the shop, he’d go back to his apartment, and begin writing. He had a lot of time in the day to work on his research. Occasionally, he’d spare a day of work to run errands, or to make plans with the very few friends he had. His days sometimes consisted of laundry or trying a new recipe at home. But most of the day was spent writing, and when he didn’t write, he tended to read. 

He also spent two and a half hours every Tuesday night teaching a creative writing class at Boston University. He only taught one class, an introduction seminar for freshman students, most of whom were writing majors, though some wrote as a hobby, and took the class for fun. He liked teaching, but was wry to commit to being a full time instructor. He didn’t want the job to take away from his writing, and the one class a week, as well as the money from his book sales, earned him enough money to get by. After all, it was just himself in his small two bedroom apartment.

He wasn’t at all expecting to receive a call on a wednesday in late February about a little boy due to be born in the middle of March. The mother was still set to complete her prison sentence that lasted until June. Killian hadn’t fostered in a while, but he forgot his information was still on file. The agency and prison that the mother was in, were both near his residency in Boston, so Killian was the first to be called. 

He hadn’t fostered a child since Milah died. He and his wife had met at university in England, and moved to the states after graduation. They married quickly, at the age of 22, ready to start a family right away. A year of trying led to more years of disappointment. When they learned that there were complications with Milah’s ability to get pregnant, they turned to fostering. Milah was sad, at first, but said that any child that came into their home would be loved as their own, and it would be just as great an experience as having their own child. 

Killian loved her spirit, and the way she looked at the world. They starting fostering when they turned the appropriate age, taking in mostly teenagers who only had a few years left in the system. They fostered three children in the two years they fostered. Not long after the last child turned 18 and left the system, Milah passed. She had been driving home from a weekend away for work, she was a photographer, when a large snowstorm caused icy roads. She lost control of the car, and skidded off the side of the road into a nearby tree, and died directly on impact. 

Killian had not fostered any other child since his wife passed. In fact, he had almost forgotten he ever did. It took him a very long time to move past Milah’s death. He was content with his life, spending his days alone, with his memory of her. He didn’t believe he’d ever find someone he’d care for as much as Milah, let alone love. 

But, when he got the call about fostering the soon to be newborn, a year and a half after his wife’s death, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. He thought to what Milah would say, and he knew she would take in the baby without a second thought. After all, it was only for a few months. He spent the month before the boy was born preparing. He purchased a small crib and bedding, and many clothes, diapers and other necessities for the child. 

He was in line at the coffee shop a week into March when he received the call that the baby was born. A beautiful baby boy was born early in the morning, and they hoped Killian would be ready to pick him up the next day. Killian continued to get his coffee, but rather than sitting and reading while he drank, he ran right back upstairs and began preparing for the boy. 

He had everything he needed. The second room was transformed into a small, temporary nursery, with plenty of clothes, diapers, blankets, and stuffed animals of his own for the baby. He prepared the carseat in his car for the next day, and made sure he had enough formula for the baby as well. He was nervous, because he never fostered a newborn before. He hoped he could give this baby a good temporary home. 

When he arrived at the hospital the next day, he met with the social worker for the baby’s case, who ran through with him everything he needed to know. His name was Henry, Henry Swan, born to Emma Swan. Emma had three months left in her sentence, and so once she was out, had a job and a residency, she would have the opportunity to have the baby back. The reason Henry was given to Killian to foster, and not given up for adoption, was because Emma had every intention of being his mother when she was out. 

Once Killian understood, the social worker took him to Henry. He was nervous as he entered the nursery. The boy was small, just about 7 pounds, dressed in a soft blue onesie and blue knit hat. The nurse placed Henry in his arms, and Killian smiled at the way Henry squirmed comfortably in his arms. He placed a finger towards Henry’s chin, and his little hand reached up to grasp onto it. 

“Hello, lad,” Killian said to the little boy. “We’re going to have some fun the next few months.” He received another squirm and gurgle in response. 

~~~

Falling in love with Henry was easy for Killian. The boy was slowly becoming comfortable in his home. His days stayed close to the same routine with Henry in tow. Instead of going to the cafe for coffee, he instead brewed his own in the morning, and rather than read the morning paper, he spent the time reading to Henry. He fed the boy regularly, and though he knew Henry wouldn’t be sleeping through the night, he didn’t mind being up with him. His schedule allowed for him to sleep when Henry was, though most of the time he chose to write while Henry was sleeping. 

Though Henry wasn’t always a distraction from Killian’s writing. A lot of the time, Killian made a space on his desk for Henry’s car seat, and he would place the baby there next to him as he wrote. He would often rock the carseat, or talk to Henry about his story and run ideas by him. Of course, Henry could not understand what he was saying, but after a month when Henry gave Killian a smile, he knew he was on the right path. 

A few times Killian would take Henry out if it was nice outside, which it usually was in March and April. He would take him to the park in the coach he bought, or the two of them would sit together in the cafe downstairs, in a booth where Killian could place the car seat next to him as he ate. 

It wasn’t always perfect. It took Killian a few tries to perfect a diaper change, and as to be expected of a newborn, there were many screaming nights. Killian hated hearing Henry cry, not because of the sound, but because of whatever pain Henry was going through. Was he hungry? Did he need to be changed? Was he in pain? Sometimes Killian’s insecurities arose, and he wondered if he was being a terrible foster father. 

He was relieved of those feelings the first time Henry laughed. He had been reading a children’s story to the baby, when he chose to speak in the character’s funny voice, making Henry laugh. Killian smiled wide, picking the babe up into his arms and holding him tight. He knew the day he’d have to give Henry back would be the worst. 

That day came quicker than he imagined. Before he knew it, it was June. He was told Emma had been set to be released from prison on June 5th, and today was June 13th. He knew he only had a few more days before he would get a call about Emma being ready to take back Henry. His suspicions were proven when a week and a half later he received a call. Emma found a job, thanks to her parole officer, and was living in a small apartment in the downstairs of the inn that her new boss owned. She was stable, and ready to take Henry home. 

When he left to take Henry to the fostering agency, he teared up on the way to the car. Henry was in the backseat, and Killian could see from his rearview mirror just the way Henry was kicking his small legs. He couldn’t do too much moving yet, but he could do that. He would miss the lad. His life had been all too lonely the last year without Milah, and having Henry with him had been a nice change for him, a change he wasn’t aware he needed. 

He arrived at the agency, and soon enough he was hugging Henry for the last time, before he would be taken to the room his mother was waiting for him. “So long, lad.” he said, before he watched the social worker take him away. When he returned to his car, he let the full tears flow, heartbroken that he had let himself fall in love with the boy, and that he would probably not see him again. 

Two Months Later

Three loud knocks rapped against Killian’s door, pulling him away from his work. He had spent the entire morning editing his new novel. After Henry had gone back to his mother, Killian threw himself into his book. He was almost finished. He planned to spent the next few weeks editing and revising before sending it to his publisher. He was happy with how his work was so far. He even renamed one of the characters in his novel, to Henry. 

As he stood to answer the door, his guest knocked again. “Coming!” he yelled. When he reached the door, he unlocked it and pulled the door open, revealing a young, beautiful blonde women, who was holding a car seat. 

“Hi,” was all she said when he answered. She smiled at him, but also held a small look of shock on her face. One that told him that she wasn’t expecting him on this side of the door. Killian did notice she was beautiful. Long blonde locks fell down her back, and her eyes were an emerald green. “Are you Killian?”

“Aye, lass.” Killian said. “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” she said. “I mean...I’m Emma. Henry’s mother.”


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! It's kind of short, but it's still only the beginning, and chapters will get longer as we go along. Enjoy!

"...I’m Emma. Henry’s mother.” Killian’s eyes widened as she spoke. He glanced down to the car seat in her arm, then back up to her. 

“Henry?” Emma smiled at him and nodded her head before glancing at the baby in the car seat. Killian couldn’t see him, but knowing Henry was there was making his heart melt. He quickly stepped to the side and ushered Emma into his home. “Come in, lass. Come in.”

“Thank you.” Emma passed him to enter the apartment and went straight to the couch and placed the car seat on the cushion. She then turned around to look at Killian, who was closing the door. “I hope you don’t mind us dropping by.”

“Not at all, love.” Killian told her. He smiled sheepishly as he offered her some water, but she shook her head. 

“Can I ask why you’re here, lass?” Killian asked eyeing Henry, who was sleeping soundly in his car seat. He could see the boy had already gotten bigger. He must’ve been more than five months by now. “Not that I’m complaining. I’m just...curious.”

“Well,” Emma said glancing at the baby. “I wanted to thank you, and I thought you might like to see him.”

Killian nodded as he approached her and Henry. Emma didn’t want to wake him, so Killian was happy just to look at him for a while. “There’s no need to thank me, lass.”

“You took great care of Henry, while I was...um...away.” Emma said, and she looked down at the floor, embarrassed as she spoke. She placed falling hair behind her ear before she looked back up at him, hiding her shame with a small smile. “I’m really grateful.”

“I just did what any foster parent would’ve, love.” Killian said as he watched Henry sleep. 

“That’s the thing,” Emma said as she sat slowly on Killian’s couch and looked up to him. “Not everyone would’ve been as good as you. Not everyone cares.”

Killian went to sit beside Emma on the other side of the couch, and allowed her to turn to him and continue. “When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. Even though I knew I couldn’t be a good mother, and that it would be hard, I still wanted to be. Everything before my time in prison was just...awful, a baby was giving me a reason to look forward to the future.”

Killian nodded to encourage her to keep talking. “I was nervous. I knew me keeping him meant that he would have to spend the first three months of his life in the system. The idea of him being placed with a terrible family, with people who only fostered to collect checks, kept running through my mind. I’ve had that before, and I didn’t want that for him.”

“When I got him back, I saw that he had grown. He had chubby cheeks and a smile that melted my heart. He is such a happy baby. I was relieved to see that he had been taken care of. Like, really taken care of.”

“It was a pleasure, lass.” Killian said. He smiled at her, and noticed the small bags under her eyes. He had the same ones a few months back. Being a parent took a lot out of him, and now it was doing the same for her. She seemed to being doing well though. 

“Anyway,” Emma said, looking back to Henry. “I know how much I love this little guy, and figured you must’ve felt the same way, because how could you not. So, I got your information from his social worker, and decided to visit. I’m sorry it took us so long, and that we came by surprise. I got called off from work, so it kind of just worked out.”

“I’m thrilled, lass, that you came.” Killian said as he leaned forward on his knees and looked at Henry with her. “I had accepted that I might not see him again, assuming you’d be doing well, staying on your feet.”

“I am,” Emma said. “I waitress at a diner outside of downtown. Granny’s, if you’ve heard of it. She’s great and she gave me the apartment in the inn that is attached, and usually her or her granddaughter watch Henry while I work. They take good care of me, so I can take good care of him.”

“That’s great, Emma.” She looked back to Killian and smiled. She wondered about him. She didn’t know much about him, other than he was a writer, and that he was a great foster father to Henry. “I’m glad he has you. Is it just you?”

“It is,” Emma said. “Just me and Henry against the world. But..um, I wanted to let you know. I mean, if you want, you can be a part of his life.” Killian’s eyes widened as she spoke. He never dreamed that he might be a part of Henry’s life after he went back to his mother. “He deserves to know the man who raised him while I couldn’t. And you deserve to see him grow up, if you’d like.”

“I would,” Killian said, almost tearing up. “God, Emma, that would be...amazing. Thank you.” Emma smiled at the man beside her, almost tearing up herself at seeing how much this man cared for her son. Henry’s father wasn’t in the picture, and he wouldn’t be if she had anything to say about it. So, it would be nice for Henry to have Killian, she thinks. 

Killian sat straight up when sounds came from the car seat beside Emma. “Ha, good morning, handsome.” Emma undid the buckles on Henry’s car seat when he began to squirm and wine, and pulled him out and held her in her arms. She lifted the baby up to her lips and gave him a kiss on the cheek before settling him against her chest. “I’m sorry, baby. Did Mommy’s talking wake you up?”

Killian watched as Emma handled the baby. She seemed to be a natural, completely in love with her son. He was happy to see Henry so well taken care of. He didn’t know much about Emma before, but he was happy to get to know her now. 

Emma turned to Killian Henry in his arms. “Would you like to hold him?” 

Killian stared at Henry before nodding to his mother. Emma lifted the babe and rested him in Killian’s arms. Henry’s eyes opened all the way and looked up to Killian. “Hello, lad. Do you remember me?”

“You know, I was going to take him to the zoo on Saturday, it’s my day off. He may not know what he’s looking at, but it’s supposed to be beautiful. Would you like to come with us?” Emma asked Killian. He didn’t hesitate at all before telling her yes. Any chance he had to spend with Henry he would take, and he wouldn’t mind spending time with his gorgeous mother as well.


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being almost two weeks late with this update. Work and friends got the best of me. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

“Henry, look!” Emma said to her son. He sat in the coach, looking at nothing, though Emma crouched beside him and pointed to the animals before them. “You see the giraffes!”

Henry, being only five and a half months, didn’t respond with more than a small smile. Emma knew this trip to the zoo was more for herself than for Henry. But, it was a beautiful day outside, and she didn’t have to work, so she didn’t want to waste the day inside. Emma tickled her little boy’s chest before standing back up to push the coach along the trail that ran beside the animal enclosures. 

She pushed him a few yards to where Killian was waiting for them at the ice cream cart. He ran ahead of her and Henry to get cones for the two of them. When she reached him, he handed her a rocky road cone and took a lick at his own mint chocolate chip. 

“Thank you for coming with us today,” Emma said as they walked beside each other and Emma pushed the coach. 

“Thank you for inviting me. It was wonderful of you to offer me a place in Henry’s life, I wouldn’t miss a fun day like this.”

Emma smiled at him as she took a lick of her ice cream, and he smiled right back, his grin wide. His eyes became fixated on hers, and genuine appreciation was glowing from the smile. She almost blushed at the way his smile light up his face when he looked at her. 

“Perhaps after this I could treat the two of you to dinner.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Emma said, unwilling to take more money from Killian. He had already forbid her from paying for her ticket to the zoo. Luckily, Henry’s was free. 

“I want to, Emma.” Killian said. “We can go to Granny’s, if you aren’t tired of their food. Henry may be more comfortable there.”

Emma smiled at his consideration of Henry, and after two attempts at refusing to let him buy her dinner, she eventually accepted with the understanding that she’d be buying dinner next time. 

Later that evening, Killian and Emma sat at the corner booth at Granny’s Diner, with Henry sleeping in his car seat that rested in the booth next to Emma. 

“I’m definitely glad you thought to feed him in the car on the way here. Now that he’s sleeping, it’ll be nice to eat knowing I don’t have to worry about settling him down.”

“Does he get fussy a lot?” Killian asked. He knew what Henry was like the first few months of his life. He was mostly a good baby, but when he was fussy, he was hard to handle. It was almost as if there hadn’t been an in between. 

“Not really. But when he does, he gets extremely colicky, and it can be hard to get him to settle down.” Emma said, with a sigh. Killian watched the way she intently looked at Henry. There was a tiredness in her eyes, but they also shined with great love for the babe in the car seat. “But...it’s worth it. Because when he is happy, and laughing or smiling at me while we play, my heart just melts.”

“Aye, I remember that. I used to read to him a lot, and whenever he smiled at me, or even made any semblance of a sound that wasn’t a cry, I felt like the luckiest man in the world, having this little boy so happy to be around me.” 

Emma smiled at Killian. She loved the way he spoke of her son. There was an obvious connection between the two of them that grew while she was finishing her sentence. Her smile faded as her thoughts drifted. She wondered, if Neal had stayed, and he had been the father in Henry’s life that he should’ve been, would he have the same strong connection, or obvious love for the boy as Killian does. 

“Did I say something wrong, love?” Killian asked. “I apologize if I’ve upset you,”

Emma shook her head quick to reassure Killian that she wasn’t upset with him. “No, of course not. I just...Henry’s father. I just thought of him.”

“Ah,” Killian said with understanding. He watched Emma struggle internally with her thoughts on the man. “You don’t have to talk about him.”

“No, I do. Well, I mean...I want to. Just...thinking of Neal, his father, makes me think of the last year and a half of my life, and I think I want to tell you about it.”

“You don’t have to, Swan.” Killian repeated, and Emma liked the way he called her by her last name. He reached across the table and held the hand that was not clutching her mug of hot chocolate. 

“I know.” Emma nodded. “This is a long story, though.”

“I’m happy to hear it all, if you’d like.” Killian said. 

“Well, I’ve said this before, but I feel it’s important to mention. I was in the foster system my whole life until I was 18. Bouncing around, group home to foster home, to a different group home. I never stayed in one place, no one wanted me. Not really. 

I aged out of the system, and was sort of homeless for a bit. I was living in Portland at the time, and I stayed at a local women’s shelter for a while, earning little money working at a grocery store. When I was 20, the grocery store I was working at closed, and I lost my job. I turned to stealing to get by, to feed myself. I pawned items I stole for cash.”

She dropped her head a bit as she whispered her secret of being a petty thief to Killian. He could see she was ashamed of her past, embarrassed to be telling him this part of her story. Rather than judge her, because he knows what it’s like to be in a rough spot, and her situation is far worse than any he’s been in, he just squeezed her hand tighter and urged her to continue. 

“One day, I broke into and stole a yellow Volkswagen, when as I was driving, someone popped out of the back seat.”

“Neal?” Emma nodded. 

“It turned out he was in there because he had also stolen the keys to the car. We got a drink and talked and before I knew it, we were on this whole Bonnie and Clyde act, going to different towns in the country and stealing to get ourselves by. 

I was in love. He was sweet, and funny, a little bit older than me, but only a few years. When we made it to the east coast, I was 21 and Neal said he wanted to try and settle down, to make a new life for us. To find a home. And I was ready to. Starting a proper life with the man I loved, someone who loved me, was all I ever dreamed of. 

We made a plan. We would go to Tallahassee, and start fresh. Get jobs, a nice apartment, and begin our lives. One day, though, we were in New York, a place Neal had been before, when he discovered police had been trying to find him for over a year. He had stolen a large case of watches from a jeweler he worked for, over $100,000 worth. 

Rather than let him run away to Canada like he wanted to, because I wanted us to be together, I suggested he fence the watches, which he hid in a train station locker before he fled to Portland, where he met me. I knew they might recognize him at the station, so I went to get them from the locker, and we would meet somewhere else for him to fence them. 

It turns out, before we met up, he was found by the police, and rather than turn himself in, he told them I had stolen the watches, that I still had them, and gave them information on where to find me. He let me take the blame and ten months so he could run free.”

Killian ran his thumb up and down the back of her hand the entire time she spoke. He wanted more than anything to reach across the table and wipe her tears when she began to cry. Eventually, she calmed herself down, and spoke again. 

“It was just before my 22nd birthday, that I found out I was three months pregnant.”

“I’m so sorry, Emma.”

She shrugged, and pulled her hand free from Killian’s to use both hands to wipe the tears from under her eyes. She hadn’t told that story aloud to anyone before. She had been trying to erase her time with Neal and her time in jail from her mind. 

“I’m just ready to move on from it all, and give Henry the life I never had.” She said. Without looking at Killian, she continued. “I also hope, that hearing that story doesn’t lower your opinion of me.”

“Emma…” Killian didn’t know why Emma was concerned with what he thought of her. They had only just met, though he knows that means nothing. He already cares for her, even in just a short time. He’d love to say it’s because she’s Henry’s mother and for only that reason, but he knows he would still find himself caring for this women even if Henry was not around. There was something about Emma that he could relate to, though he couldn’t quite decipher what yet. 

“Nothing could lower my opinion of you, Emma. I think your bloody fantastic.”

“Really?” Emma asked, total uncertainty in her eyes. 

“Aye. After all you’ve been through, you’ve managed to pick yourself up for this little boy and be a fantastic, loving, dedicated mother. Maybe your past is a bit dark, but you did what you felt you had to do. I could never judge you for that. And I sure as hell would never blame you for what Neal did. If you don’t mind me saying, the man is a bloody wanker.”

Emma laughed at Killian’s last comment. Despite everything she just told him, his understanding was incredible and undeserved, she thinks. Still, she couldn’t help but stand up and circle the table to give Killian a hug on the other side. 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Swan.”


End file.
